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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. object — a thing
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chip — for betting
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — in cards
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — a match
  23. net — in sport
  24. suit — clothes

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