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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — music
  7. rule — government
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. firm — steady
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. firm — decided
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — the animal
  24. march — the month

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