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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — a match
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. object — a thing
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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