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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 116 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 · squash · row · firm · field · saw · land · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — the tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. land — to come down
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. field — a subject
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. firm — a company
  14. squash — the sport
  15. row — a line
  16. field — for sport
  17. land — a country
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ball — a great time
  21. row — to paddle
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a dance

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