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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. last — finally
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of a king
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — a box
  11. last — final
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — of law
  17. last — to go on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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