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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. root — of a plant
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. drill — the tool
  7. club — a group
  8. court — of a king
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — for sport
  11. game — a match
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. face — part of the head
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a word
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — wild animals
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — to bend

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