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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. game — a match
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. court — of law
  11. race — a contest
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. court — for sport
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. race — humankind

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