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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 116 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: chip · pop · bore · mine · kick · nail · staff · current

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. kick — in football
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. current — happening now
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — electric
  24. staff — a stick

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