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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — boats
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — humankind
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — a container
  21. race — a contest
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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