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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chest — a box
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. roll — a cake
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — for sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of law
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. court — of a king
  18. foot — a measure
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. roll — a list
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bowl — to roll

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