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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chip — to eat
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fork — in a road
  23. shower — rain
  24. prune — to trim

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