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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. file — a document
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — wild animals
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. game — a match
  12. dip — to sink
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. scale — size or range
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — to cool the air

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