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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — a trail
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. field — farmland
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mark — a trace
  15. field — for sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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