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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — a hole
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pit — in a race
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chip — to eat

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