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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 124 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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — a match
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — a supporter

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