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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — after costs
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spring — the season
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bass — low music
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bore — to tire

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