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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — in music
  15. club — for golf
  16. land — ground
  17. chip — for betting
  18. land — to come down
  19. club — a group
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — to turn a key

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