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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — a law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — shares
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. patient — a sick person

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