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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — of the year
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. season — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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