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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a document
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — boats
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chip — to eat

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