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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. game — a match
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. game — wild animals

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