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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — music
  16. clip — a video
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — soda

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