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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. scale — in music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. game — a match
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — for a lock

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