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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. land — to come down
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — to tire
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — a country
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — army training
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spell — letters

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