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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 124 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — ground
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — a country
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chip — for betting

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