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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. staff — employees
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — boats
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fine — all right
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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