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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. clip — a video
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rest — a break
  11. cue — a signal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a match
  24. fan — to cool the air

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