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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bore — to drill
  8. firm — steady
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — for betting
  11. content — the amount
  12. firm — a company
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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