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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. kid — child
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. roll — a list
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bank — of a river
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bore — to tire

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