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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. content — happy
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — the fish

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