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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rule — government
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — a match
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fall — the season
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rule — a law
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rule — to rule out

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