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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — a practice
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a match
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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