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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. key — for a lock
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a face
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — to rob
  20. shower — to wash
  21. chip — to eat
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — a trace

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