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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mate — a friend
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ground — a position
  20. land — a country
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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