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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kick — in football
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fork — in a road
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pit — a hole
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — a practice

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