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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — a leader
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. root — of a word
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of a car

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