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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — to come from
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — for pool
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. firm — steady
  14. rest — a break
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — to drill
  22. firm — decided
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cue — a hint

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