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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — a match
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. track — a path
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. mug — to rob
  20. court — of a king
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — a series
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a dance

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