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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. degree — from a university
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. snap — to click
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — temperature
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. row — a line
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — to eat
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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