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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. press — newspapers
  3. capital — a city
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. game — wild animals
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. capital — money
  9. race — a contest
  10. press — to push
  11. race — humankind
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fine — high quality
  17. race — the arms race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — low music
  24. leaves — of a tree

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