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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · fine · lean · mouse · drill · content · last · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. last — to go on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — a practice
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — finally
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — happy
  15. last — final
  16. fine — all right
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. drill — army training

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