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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — for betting
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. band — a music group

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