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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — electric
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. staff — a stick
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — a friend
  20. current — of water
  21. hand — in cards
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — happening now

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