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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for golf
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a hint
  11. field — farmland
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. game — wild animals
  23. field — a subject
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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