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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a match
  12. ball — a great time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. clip — to cut
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chip — to eat
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. degree — temperature
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ruler — a monarch

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