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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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468
Word bank
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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — wild animals
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. march — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lean — thin
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — the season

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