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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. game — wild animals
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. charge — a price
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. key — in music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — a dish

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