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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — wild animals
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mug — a face
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a match
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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