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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — in football
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — wild animals
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — letters
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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