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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — a friend

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