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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spring — the season
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — after costs
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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