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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. drill — army training
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — a committee
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — a practice
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rock — music
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. toast — bread
  24. rock — to move gently

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