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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — help
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mate — to breed
  15. march — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — to fit

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