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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — shares
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — a match
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — in golf
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — a safe

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