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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. game — a match
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — the underground
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. staff — a stick

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