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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — army training
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mug — a face
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. game — wild animals

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