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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. row — to paddle
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kid — child

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