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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · mine · plane · perch · chip · bat · bore · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — a position
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. object — to protest
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. perch — for a bird

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