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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — of water
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — the season
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. march — the month

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