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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. deal — to handle
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. content — the amount
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mate — a partner
  24. content — happy

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