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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — a break
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — low music
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bore — to tire

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