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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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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: drill · pop · chip · cabinet · wave · fork · bore · ground

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ground — a position
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pop — soda
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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