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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cue — a hint
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — a contest
  10. rest — a break
  11. club — a group
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — humankind
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. race — the arms race
  24. club — for dancing

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