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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rule — a law
  3. object — a thing
  4. file — a document
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lie — to recline
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. object — an aim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rule — government
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — a match

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