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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. land — to come down
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — a position
  13. land — a country
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — crushed
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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