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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. club — for dancing
  7. field — for sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — farmland
  11. bore — to drill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. club — a group
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — a subject
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — a quarrel

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