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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. last — final
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. clip — a video
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — to cut
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — for paper

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