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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: bass · key · calf · chip · spell · field · land · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. key — the most important part
  4. land — a country
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. key — in music
  7. land — ground
  8. field — a subject
  9. land — to come down
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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