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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.

Make a worksheet

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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. spell — magic
  4. cue — a signal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — letters
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — to crush
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spell — a short time

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