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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — to visit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — boats
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — a line
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pop — soda
  20. row — to paddle
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. date — the fruit
  24. craft — a handicraft

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