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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — a thing
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — to protest
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a music group
  12. land — ground
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. band — a ring
  16. object — an aim
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. squash — to crush
  20. drill — a practice
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. land — to come down

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