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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: bat · face · object · rule · kick · chip · fork · mine

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kick — in football
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. rule — a law
  22. face — to confront
  23. rule — government
  24. bat — in an idiom

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