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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chest — a box
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — a contest
  16. fine — all right
  17. chip — to eat
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — a committee

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