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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chip — in a computer

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