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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. key — in music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — all right
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — a line
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. file — a tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — a grade
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mark — a trace
  20. file — a line of people
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bore — to drill

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