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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — a song
  7. board — a committee
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. land — a country
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. field — farmland
  19. land — ground
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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