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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cell — in biology
  4. snap — to click
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pop — to visit

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