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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a document
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — boats
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. craft — a skill
  18. board — a committee
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — the fish
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. board — to get on

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