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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — to breed
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — to eat
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. track — to keep track

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