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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. game — a match
  7. ground — crushed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — a publisher
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — for tennis

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