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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. deal — to handle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a trace
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — a position

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