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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. land — ground
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cue — a signal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to point toward
  24. patient — a sick person

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