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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rule — government
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rule — a law
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bound — obliged
  11. squash — the sport
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. club — a group
  14. game — a match
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — for golf
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chip — to eat

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