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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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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: season · roll · mine · sharp · rule · chip · deal · object

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. object — to protest
  3. roll — a cake
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — in sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — government
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — a law
  17. object — a thing
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. roll — a list
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chip — to eat
  24. roll — on a roll

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