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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — to breed
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. degree — an amount
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a match
  18. court — of law
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fine — high quality
  24. chip — to eat

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