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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with 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. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — a short time
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — the amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. content — happy
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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