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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — to sink
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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