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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. capital — money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mate — to breed
  21. track — a song
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — a partner

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