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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bore — to drill
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. vault — a safe
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chip — to eat
  24. season — to add flavour

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