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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — a price
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kid — to tease
  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