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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 116 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cell — in biology
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — goods
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — to tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cell — a phone

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