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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. land — ground
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — a country
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. roll — a cake
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — to eat
  17. roll — a list
  18. fine — all right
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — in a computer
  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