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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. shower — to wash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — a match
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — wild animals
  24. net — after costs

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