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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: chip · ruler · wave · mate · pass · march · game · fork

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. march — the month
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mate — a partner
  14. march — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — a match
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ruler — for measuring

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