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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — wild animals
  6. dip — to sink
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — a young animal

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