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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 124 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. land — a country
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — to drill
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a match
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. content — happy
  19. land — ground
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. craft — boats
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bound — certain
  24. land — to come down

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