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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rule — government
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rule — a law
  24. ruler — a monarch

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