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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — to crush
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. shower — rain
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. deal — a big deal

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