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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cue — for pool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — of water
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — a committee
  13. game — a match
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — to get on
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — the season
  24. can — a tin

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