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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.

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: field · fine · spell · dip · bore · board · rock · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spell — letters
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — to get on
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. field — a subject
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — farmland
  17. dip — to sink
  18. board — a committee
  19. field — for sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — all right

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