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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 120 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: season · hide · rule · field · pass · court · bore · net

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. court — of law
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — of the year
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. field — for sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. rule — a law
  19. field — farmland
  20. net — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — gave birth

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