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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. field — farmland
  11. row — a line
  12. cap — of ice
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cap — a hat
  18. field — for sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. field — a subject
  24. sharp — with an edge

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