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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of a king
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. game — wild animals
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — of law
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stock — a soup base

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