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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a match
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rest — what's left
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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