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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · chip · bore · cell · ball · stick · last · club

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — final
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. club — for golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ball — a round shape

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