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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. game — a match
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. band — a music group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — wild animals

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