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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. present — there
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bore — to drill
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — a trail
  21. scale — in music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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