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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — a thing
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. field — for sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. object — to protest
  17. field — a subject
  18. cold — not warm
  19. field — farmland
  20. object — an aim
  21. cold — an illness
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kid — child

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