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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — to come down
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — part of the body

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