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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. board — to get on
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. key — the most important part
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — goods
  21. cell — a phone
  22. key — in music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. board — a flat piece

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