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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rock — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a music group
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — a match
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. band — a rubber band

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