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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: rash · bore · rest · toast · capital · deal · saw · field

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bore — to drill
  3. capital — a city
  4. rash — a series
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. field — farmland
  8. capital — money
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. field — for sport
  24. toast — bread

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