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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. snap — to click
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. drill — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — army training
  16. chip — for betting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rule — government
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. jam — in traffic

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