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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 124 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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. ground — crushed
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spring — the season
  7. charge — electricity
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — of water
  19. scale — in music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — a garden tool

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