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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 · mouse · ball · field · saw · present · object · firm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a great time
  4. present — a gift
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — for sport
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — there
  15. object — to protest
  16. firm — steady
  17. object — an aim
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — the time now
  24. object — a thing

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