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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — all right
  14. net — after costs
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cap — a hat

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