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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. file — a tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. file — a line of people
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. content — happy
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. row — a line
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — low music
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chip — for betting

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