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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fall — the season
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — music
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ball — a round shape

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