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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — to eat
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a song

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