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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — to eat
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — for betting
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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