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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — wild animals
  5. craft — a skill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. craft — boats
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. race — a contest
  19. kick — in football
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. game — a match
  24. mouse — for a computer

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