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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. shower — rain
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for dancing
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. club — for golf
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — a group
  24. bowl — to roll

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