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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a friend
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — help
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — a match
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. straw — a straw man

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