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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hand — help
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the sport
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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