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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bore — to drill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. dip — a sauce

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