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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bat — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bat — in an idiom

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