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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: clip · spell · nail · ruler · field · foot · bore · pitch

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — letters
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — farmland
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spell — magic
  10. field — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to drill
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — to tire
  18. field — a subject
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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