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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 120 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
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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: chip · bowl · firm · rest · game · chest · hand · pop

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. game — wild animals
  13. firm — a company
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chest — a box
  24. rest — what's left

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