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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. field — for sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — a country
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. land — to come down
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — a hat
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rash — a series

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