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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — the amount
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rule — government
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — happy
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — a measure
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bore — to drill
  24. patient — a sick person

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