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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — a price
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. current — electric
  13. bore — to drill
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bore — to tire
  22. press — a publisher
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — a practice

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