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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. game — a match
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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