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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. row — a line
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. kick — a thrill

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