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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. court — for sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — a permit
  14. court — of law
  15. row — a line
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — of a king
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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