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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a match
  3. land — to come down
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. land — a country
  6. present — the time now
  7. chip — for betting
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — there
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — a stick
  14. object — an aim
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — to eat
  20. land — ground
  21. object — a thing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. present — a gift

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