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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 124 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cell — a phone
  13. file — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a line of people
  20. board — to get on
  21. file — a document
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — to tire

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