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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
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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: spell · ruler · staff · foot · game · row · mug · chip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — for betting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — magic
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mug — a cup
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. foot — a measure
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — a line
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spell — letters
  24. chip — in a computer

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