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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. firm — a company
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — clever
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. firm — steady
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — decided
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chip — for betting

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