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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — a price
  3. cue — for pool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — in control
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. court — of a king
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. game — a match
  16. court — of law
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — thin
  22. court — for sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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