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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. swing — in golf
  22. game — wild animals
  23. scale — size or range
  24. squash — the sport

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