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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · content · field · rock · present · nail · object · mate

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. field — farmland
  3. content — happy
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — there
  9. field — a subject
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — for sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — the amount
  17. rock — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — to protest
  24. bore — to drill

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