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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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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chip — to eat
  6. land — a country
  7. deal — to handle
  8. land — to come down
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — ground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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