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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. season — of the year
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — child
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chip — to eat

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