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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — hurry

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