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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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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: bulb · bore · cold · stick · toast · ruler · court · mine

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — an illness
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. court — of law
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cold — not warm
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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