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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chest — of your body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chest — a box
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. bore — to tire
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. toast — bread
  24. chip — to eat

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