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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rule — government
  20. object — to protest
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bore — to drill

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