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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — soda
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cell — in biology
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pop — to visit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. key — in music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. shower — rain
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cell — a phone

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