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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 124 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. roll — a list
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. roll — a cake
  24. racket — a loud noise

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