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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — in sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — farmland
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — a subject
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — of the year
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com