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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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