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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. present — the time now
  2. bore — to drill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. craft — boats
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — there
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — a gift
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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