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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — in control
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — wild animals
  5. season — of the year
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spell — magic
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — a short time
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — electricity
  16. branch — a division
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — a match
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — in sport

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