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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. file — a document
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. file — a tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. file — a line of people
  7. present — the time now
  8. race — the arms race
  9. content — happy
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chip — for betting
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. present — a gift
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. present — there
  20. content — the amount
  21. swing — in golf
  22. race — a contest
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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