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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hand — in cards
  6. game — wild animals
  7. press — to push
  8. content — happy
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hand — help

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