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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — a break
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — a path
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a song
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — for pool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. game — a match
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a face

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