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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. game — wild animals
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — for pool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. game — a match
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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