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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. squash — the sport

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