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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — for betting
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a great time

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