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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mine · racket · hand · rule · scale · chip · spell · safe

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — magic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — letters
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spell — a short time
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — government
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — for digging

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