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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ground — a position
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. date — the fruit

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