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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ground — a position
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ground — crushed
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — to come down
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mate — a friend
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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