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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. present — there
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — to eat
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — the time now
  24. ground — crushed

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