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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spell — letters
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. toast — the most admired

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