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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — of water
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — a thing
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. object — an aim
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — to protest

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