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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: bore · bat · chair · squash · nail · track · object · fine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. track — a song
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — an aim
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. object — a thing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. object — to protest

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