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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. game — a match
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. branch — a division
  9. cue — for pool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. game — wild animals
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chip — to eat
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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