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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — to eat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hand — help
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. game — a match
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chair — a leader

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