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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fine — all right
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — clothes
  9. last — finally
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. last — to go on
  13. field — a subject
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — final
  20. field — for sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a kind of play

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