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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ground — crushed
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a face
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — to rob

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