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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — a match
  4. key — the most important part
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chip — to eat
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — a measure
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mouse — the animal

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