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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — to keep track
  5. land — ground
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cue — a hint
  8. land — a country
  9. track — a path
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. land — to come down
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — letters
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bore — to tire
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cue — a signal

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