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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. game — a match
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spell — a short time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. perch — for a bird

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