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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. land — to come down
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — decided
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. firm — a company
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. land — ground
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — to drill

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