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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · hand · chip · mouse · rule · toast · rush

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rule — a law
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — government
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a match
  24. hand — in cards

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