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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. file — a document
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. season — in sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mark — a grade
  24. file — a tool

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