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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pound — to hit hard

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