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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spring — the season
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bore — to tire
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. roll — a list
  9. firm — a company
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. scale — in music
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — decided
  17. rest — a break
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — a coil
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. content — the amount
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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