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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — after costs
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. net — for catching
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — hurry

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