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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — to eat
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. drill — army training
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pound — a weight
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chip — in a computer

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