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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. game — a match
  7. row — a line
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. row — to paddle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — to recline
  24. toast — bread

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