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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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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — in music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — a match
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hand — help
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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