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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a path
  12. cold — an illness
  13. track — a song
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cold — not warm
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. firm — a company

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