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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. swing — to play on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. root — of a word
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. wake — a trail
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. swing — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. land — to come down
  20. game — a match
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — of a plant

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