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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. land — ground
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fork — in a road
  17. land — a country
  18. stand — to bear
  19. capital — money
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bore — to tire
  22. land — to come down
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. capital — a city

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