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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. field — a subject
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. charge — electricity
  7. toast — bread
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — in control
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. field — for sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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