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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fork — in a road
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — to play on
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — to come down
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. firm — a company
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. sharp — exactly

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