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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. game — a match
  9. pop — to visit
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — of law

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