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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. suit — clothes

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