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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — in music
  9. pop — soda
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — wild animals
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. scale — size or range
  20. craft — boats
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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