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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tube — the underground
  7. roll — a list
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — a match
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ruler — for measuring

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