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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. last — finally
  3. roll — a cake
  4. date — the fruit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. roll — a list
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — for pool
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. row — a line
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a round shape

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