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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. season — in sport
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — a container
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — low music
  8. lean — thin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. game — wild animals
  14. squash — the sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — a company
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — a match
  21. season — of the year
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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