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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ball — a great time
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — money
  23. rock — a stone
  24. vault — a safe

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