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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fork — in a road
  19. game — a match
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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