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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — letters
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. charge — electricity
  6. roll — a list
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spell — magic
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — in control

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