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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stock — goods
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — a song
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. track — a path
  15. craft — boats
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kick — in football
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stock — shares

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