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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — the earth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rule — a law
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ground — a position
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — government
  19. cell — a phone
  20. scale — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chip — for betting
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — crushed

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