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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — in football
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — for betting
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to drill

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