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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. track — a path
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cold — an illness
  7. key — in music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — to eat
  15. track — a song
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bore — gave birth

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