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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. cap — a lid
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mate — a partner
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. game — wild animals
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — in control
  24. prune — to trim

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