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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fork — in a road

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