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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — an aim
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — a thing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. row — a line
  12. kid — child
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mine — for digging

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