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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. object — a thing
  5. row — a line
  6. pit — a hole
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. object — to protest
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. club — for dancing
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — an aim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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