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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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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 · pit · hand · fine · bound · rock · branch · ruler

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — help
  21. bound — obliged
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bound — certain
  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