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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: roll · band · hide · bear · key · chip · pit · bore

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pit — in a race
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — in music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. band — a music group
  17. chip — for betting
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a ring

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