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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. foot — a measure
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stem — of a plant

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