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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 go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. stock — goods
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — the most important part
  12. drill — army training
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — shares
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — a match
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — in music

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