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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — a subject
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — to sink
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bore — to tire

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