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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a match
  16. bank — for money
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — of a river
  24. patient — a sick person

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