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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — for sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. court — of a king
  8. game — wild animals
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. court — of law
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — in a road
  22. game — a match
  23. object — an aim
  24. chip — for betting

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