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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. roll — a list
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. roll — on a roll

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