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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — to keep track
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — decided

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