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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — decided
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. firm — steady
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. firm — a company
  24. rash — on the skin

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