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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. foot — a measure
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. charge — electricity
  16. firm — steady
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — of the year
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. band — a music group
  24. racket — a loud noise

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