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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — a line
  3. land — to come down
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — to eat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bass — the fish
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to click
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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