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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of a king
  15. key — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. plane — a tool

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