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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — to drill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — a grade
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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