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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fine — all right
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bound — certain
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. ground — a position
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — electric
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — crushed
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — hurry
  24. current — of water

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