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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ground — a position

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