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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. object — an aim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. game — a match
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — a soup base

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