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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pop — music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — of law
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rule — a law
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rule — government
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of a king
  24. mine — an explosive

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