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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — to drill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pound — a weight
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — for betting
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — decided
  18. sharp — clever
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — a company
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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