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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kick — in football
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bound — certain
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — to come down
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — ground

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