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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. firm — a company
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rule — a law
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mate — a partner

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