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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a match
  8. spring — the season
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — of water
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cue — a hint
  19. track — a song
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spring — a coil
  24. game — wild animals

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