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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — electricity
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. firm — decided
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. charge — a price
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fork — in a road
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a match
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. firm — steady
  23. game — wild animals
  24. firm — a company

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