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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — for sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. bore — to drill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — a grade
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. field — farmland
  24. fork — to eat with

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