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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — tied together
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. track — a path
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — for catching
  24. arm — part of the body

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