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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rock — a stone
  9. club — a group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a path
  13. club — for golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. game — a match
  20. band — a music group
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rock — music

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