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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pop — to visit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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