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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spell — a short time
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — a container
  11. tear — to rip
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a great time
  24. tear — from crying

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