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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — to eat
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. deal — to handle

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