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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — a gift
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — there
  13. mate — a friend
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — the earth
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — a position
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. squash — the sport

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