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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — to sink
  6. firm — a company
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — decided
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a great time
  21. firm — steady
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — a match
  24. chip — to eat

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