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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. game — a match
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — after costs
  11. spring — of water
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pound — a weight
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spring — the season
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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