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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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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — a match
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

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