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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. march — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. firm — decided
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — government
  22. chip — to eat
  23. firm — steady
  24. march — the month

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