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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — for pool
  7. season — of the year
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — a signal
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — wild animals

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