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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — a position
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a dance
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bound — obliged
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — a match
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — boats
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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