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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — army training
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. net — after costs
  10. chip — for betting
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. swing — in golf
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — the tool

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