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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — a series
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fine — all right
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. season — in sport

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