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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pop — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — low music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. face — to confront
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chip — for betting

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