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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pound — a weight
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — a match

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