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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. can — to be able to

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