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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. land — ground
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. drill — a practice
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — a series
  16. land — to come down
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — the tool
  19. land — a country
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — army training
  22. craft — boats
  23. chip — for betting
  24. craft — a skill

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