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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. toast — bread
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. plane — a tool
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. scale — size or range
  18. game — wild animals
  19. scale — in music
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — certain
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — tied together
  24. patient — a sick person

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