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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — there
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. present — a gift
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. board — to get on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to tire
  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