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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — goods
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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