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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — a practice
  5. content — happy
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. game — a match
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. drill — army training
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ruler — for measuring

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