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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. swing — to play on
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. swing — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bat — in an idiom

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