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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — government
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rule — a law
  16. degree — temperature
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — to rule out
  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