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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. file — a tool
  14. capital — money
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — a city
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. plane — in geometry

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