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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. march — the month
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — for digging
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — the month
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chip — in a computer

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