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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rule — government
  6. mate — a partner
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spring — the season
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mate — a friend
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. hand — help

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