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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: present · bore · spell · net · ball · land · nail · foot

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — to drill
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — magic
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. net — after costs
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. land — a country
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. foot — a measure
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — ground
  24. bore — gave birth

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