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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chip — for betting
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mate — a friend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mate — a partner

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