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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mate — to breed
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bore — to drill
  7. object — to protest
  8. cue — a signal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. charge — in control
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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