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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · cell · ruler · ground · lean · pit · chip · bore

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bore — gave birth

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