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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — final
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a word
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. land — a country
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — wild animals
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — ground
  14. charge — in control
  15. root — the cause
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — to come down
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — to recline
  22. last — finally
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. last — to go on

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