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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rule — government
  4. band — a music group
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. drill — army training
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — a law
  15. drill — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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