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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — letters
  11. snap — to click
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. game — a match
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. season — in sport
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — of the year

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