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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. content — the amount
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — goods
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. key — in music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — shares
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bound — certain

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