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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mate — to breed
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — for betting

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