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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 has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rock — music
  3. last — final
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — to tease
  7. last — to go on
  8. rash — a series
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. field — farmland
  11. object — a thing
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — hasty
  16. object — an aim
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kid — child
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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