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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — to handle
  4. date — the fruit
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ground — the earth
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — a position
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. ground — crushed

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