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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. court — of a king
  3. object — an aim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hand — help
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — for betting
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — of a plant

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