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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — steady
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — decided
  16. fork — in a road
  17. firm — a company
  18. game — a match

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