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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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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — to eat
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — to tire
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a hint
  10. march — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bore — to drill
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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