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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fine — all right
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pound — a weight
  7. game — a match
  8. kid — child
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — of the year
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. face — to confront
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kid — to tease
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — wild animals

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