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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — a container
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fork — in a road
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — a garden 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