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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chip — to eat
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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