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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — a phone
  16. firm — a company
  17. game — a match
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fan — to cool the air

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