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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 · deal · chip · march · mine · hide · fan · leaves

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — to eat
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — a match

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