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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bore — gave birth

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