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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. field — farmland
  20. mug — to rob
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rule — to rule out

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