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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — of a plant
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. court — of law
  11. face — part of the head
  12. band — a ring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. root — the cause
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. court — for sport
  22. game — a match
  23. root — of a word
  24. bore — to tire

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