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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitch — completely
  5. last — finally
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — to come down
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — a country

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