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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. toast — bread
  4. race — humankind
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. clip — a video
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — to tire
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. clip — to cut

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