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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to drill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — certain
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. club — a group
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chip — to eat
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — obliged

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