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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. object — a thing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — an aim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. track — a song
  22. object — to protest
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — to crush

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