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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — clever
  12. game — a match
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — wild animals
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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