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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. drill — army training
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to drill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ground — a position
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bass — low music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — to eat

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