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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — magic
  6. fork — in a road
  7. content — the amount
  8. rule — a law
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mug — a cup
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. spell — letters
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — government
  24. cabinet — ministers

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