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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. object — a thing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — the earth
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. object — to protest
  20. kick — in football
  21. mate — a partner
  22. game — a match
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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