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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — to protest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — to be able to
  15. shower — to wash
  16. object — an aim
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a match
  21. cap — a lid
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — with a leg

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