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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wax — to grow
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pound — a weight
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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