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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a match
  4. rule — government
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — a law
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bank — of a river

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