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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rule — a law
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. rule — government
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. root — of a word
  17. cue — a signal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. land — ground
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ground — a position

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