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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · bank · bore · court · game · toast · fall · deal

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of a king
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bore — to tire
  10. toast — bread
  11. bore — to drill
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bank — of a river
  14. court — for sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. deal — to handle
  19. game — wild animals
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — of law
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fall — to drop

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