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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — to crush
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — a trace
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. branch — a division

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