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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mine — for digging
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — magic

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