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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ruler — a monarch

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