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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — help
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — a series
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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