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

Word bank: mouse · drill · rule · bore · bay · chip · pass · can

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. pass — a permit
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — army training
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chip — for betting

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