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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — a trace
  3. present — there
  4. game — wild animals
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — a gift
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for golf
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. march — music
  22. game — a match
  23. club — for dancing
  24. march — the month

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