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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — all right
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — in sport
  15. pit — a hole
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — a match
  24. arm — part of the body

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