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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.

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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: mouse · wound · chip · can · game · ruler · last · chest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. chip — for betting
  2. game — a match
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chest — a box
  14. last — finally
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — to go on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. last — final
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — to be able to
  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