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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. snap — to click
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pop — music

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