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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — help
  8. game — a match
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — hurry

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