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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. plane — a tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. content — the amount

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