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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — to handle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fine — all right
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. object — to protest
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — an aim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. nail — on a finger

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