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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · mouse · ruler · chip · bat · press

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fork — a garden tool

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