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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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