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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. can — a tin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. can — a tin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — in football
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — a grade

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