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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 is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. land — ground
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fork — in a road
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — to come down
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. game — a match
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ruler — a monarch

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