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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. band — a ring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — hasty
  10. band — a music group
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — a series
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. content — the amount

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