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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — all right
  9. clip — a video
  10. race — humankind
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — to drill
  13. board — to get on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. net — after costs
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — to cut
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fine — high quality
  22. net — for catching
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — a committee

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