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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. track — a path
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — for betting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. game — a match
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — clever

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