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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: chip · game · deal · kick · nail · ball · stem · scale

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stem — to come from
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kick — in football
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — in music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — to eat

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