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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — government
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — a match
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rule — a law
  16. toast — bread
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. track — to keep track

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