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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. degree — an amount
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. last — final
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — hurry
  15. degree — from a university
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. file — a tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a document
  24. last — to go on

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