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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — to shout
  6. object — an aim
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — a price
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to tire

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