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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. club — a group
  3. cue — a signal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. field — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. field — farmland
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rule — a law
  17. club — for golf
  18. rule — government
  19. wake — a trail
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — to tire

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