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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. land — to come down
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. craft — boats
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wind — moving air
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — a match
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. land — ground
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. craft — a skill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chip — to eat

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