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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — a face
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. game — a match
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. present — the time now
  17. stock — goods
  18. mug — a cup
  19. present — there
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — a gift

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