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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — a division
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. object — a thing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. board — to get on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stock — shares

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