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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bore — to drill
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spring — a coil
  13. kid — to tease
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — a thing
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kid — child
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spring — the season
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bore — gave birth

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