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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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Word bank
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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: court · file · hand · key · bore · mark · saw · land

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. hand — in cards
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. land — a country
  13. file — a tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. land — to come down
  19. file — a document
  20. hand — help
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of law

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