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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. date — the fruit
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — a line
  22. game — a match
  23. firm — a company
  24. cell — a phone

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