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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. object — to protest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — a gift
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — the time now
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. roll — a list
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — there
  21. chip — to eat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — an explosive

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