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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pop — to visit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — a break
  24. nail — for a hammer

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