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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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Word bank
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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cue — a signal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — all right
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — electricity
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. snap — to click
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. game — a match
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spring — the season
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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