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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — tied together
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — a match
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — to get on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. march — music

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