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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a document
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — steady
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — a company
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — in control
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bore — to drill
  24. firm — decided

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