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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. court — for sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — of a king
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. court — of law
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. game — a match
  13. present — a gift
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — there
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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