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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — to eat
  4. object — an aim
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. scale — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a cake
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — a list
  24. chip — for betting

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