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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. spell — magic
  3. field — farmland
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. field — for sport
  10. press — to push
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spell — letters
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cue — a signal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. field — a subject
  17. row — a line
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — to handle
  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