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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hand — help
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fine — all right
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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