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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — finally
  3. chip — to eat
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — a face
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — final
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. last — to go on
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. saw — the tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mug — to rob
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. date — the fruit

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