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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a document
  4. mate — to breed
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — a skill
  11. object — a thing
  12. degree — from a university
  13. object — to protest
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — an aim
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — boats
  19. bore — to tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. file — a line of people
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. degree — an amount

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