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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — there
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — to eat
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ground — the earth
  12. present — a gift
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. present — the time now
  22. ground — a position
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — goods

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