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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: object · chip · field · bore · rock · firm · deal · present

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bore — to drill
  3. firm — decided
  4. bore — to tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rock — music
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — a stone
  9. present — a gift
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — to handle
  18. object — an aim
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. present — there
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — a company
  24. object — a thing

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