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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. game — wild animals
  5. court — of law
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. land — a country
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rule — government
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. land — ground
  20. court — of a king
  21. land — to come down
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to tire

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