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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. field — for sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. board — a committee
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — the season
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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