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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. court — of law
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — child

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