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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 124 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pop — music
  4. key — in music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. land — ground
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — to come down
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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