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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.

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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 · tear · scale · chip · rule · deal · mate · leaves

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — a friend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — government
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — a law
  24. scale — for weighing

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