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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — a series
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rash — hasty
  13. game — a match
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. track — a song
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — a thing
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. key — the most important part
  23. object — an aim
  24. track — to keep track

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