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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mug — a cup
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a face
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kid — child
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. game — a match
  24. chair — a leader

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