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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — clothes
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — to fit
  17. scale — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — a lid
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — an agreement

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