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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bark — to shout
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — for betting
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. deal — to handle
  20. scale — in music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. dip — a sauce

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