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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rock — a stone
  3. key — for a lock
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rock — music
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — goods
  18. game — a match
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — a division
  21. march — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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