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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — to eat
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bound — certain
  11. tube — a container
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chip — for betting

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