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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — a position
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fine — a penalty

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