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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. bound — tied together
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bound — certain
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — in a race
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — to push
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cabinet — ministers
  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