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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rule — a law
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — government
  24. bowl — a dish

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