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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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