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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — a match
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — of water
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. game — wild animals
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — electric
  24. bowl — to roll

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