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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chip — to eat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spell — magic
  22. march — music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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