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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — in a road
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. race — humankind
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. club — a group
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. race — the arms race

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