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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a dance
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. game — a match
  20. ball — a great time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. jam — in traffic

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