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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a face
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pound — a weight
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — of ice
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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