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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. root — of a word
  4. charge — electricity
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — a price
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — wild animals
  21. root — the cause
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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