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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. scale — size or range
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — in music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — in a road

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