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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: branch · sharp · tube · field · rash · pit · bore · object

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — to protest
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — for sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. object — a thing
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. field — a subject

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