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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.

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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: bore · season · nail · ruler · mate · ground · pass · field

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. field — a subject
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. field — for sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — a position
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ground — the earth

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