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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chip — to eat
  3. game — wild animals
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — a stick

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