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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. present — there
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bulb — for light

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