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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a hat
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pop — soda
  20. game — a match
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mouse — the animal

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