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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. game — a match
  20. ground — a position
  21. cap — a lid
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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