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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — to sit on

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