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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — in control
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — to recline
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — a price

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