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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. drill — army training
  4. bound — obliged
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — all right
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. firm — a company
  9. file — a tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. firm — decided
  24. fine — a penalty

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