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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pit — a hole
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — ground
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bore — to drill
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. land — to come down
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — a committee
  22. roll — a cake
  23. board — to get on
  24. chip — for betting

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