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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bark — to shout
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — a match
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. row — a line
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — a tin

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