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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — humankind
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rest — a break
  23. staff — a stick
  24. race — a contest

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