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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — child
  5. chip — for betting
  6. court — of a king
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kid — to tease
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — for sport
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. snap — to click
  21. chip — to eat
  22. branch — a division
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. court — of law

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