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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — for betting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. land — a country
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — to eat
  15. last — to go on
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. game — a match
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. last — final
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bound — obliged

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