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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rule — government
  4. degree — an amount
  5. key — in music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fall — the season
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rule — a law
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rule — to rule out

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