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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — for digging
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chip — in a computer

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