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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — for pool
  4. game — a match
  5. march — music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. foot — a measure
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the fish

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