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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. key — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. last — final
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. firm — steady
  8. last — to go on
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — for betting
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — decided
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — a company
  20. squash — to crush
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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