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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.

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: pass · bore · chair · arm · pop · scale · field · present

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — farmland
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pop — music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. present — there
  24. scale — in music

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