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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — to tire
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pop — soda
  5. drill — a practice
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — a break
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pop — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. bore — to drill
  19. game — a match
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — child
  23. chip — for betting
  24. drill — army training

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