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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. object — an aim
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — in sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — a thing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — a box
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. drill — a practice
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. season — of the year
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — a monarch

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