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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — boats
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — wild animals
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — shares
  14. lean — thin
  15. stock — goods
  16. land — a country
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lean — to bend

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