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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. court — of a king
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. court — of law
  17. game — a match
  18. deal — to handle
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hand — help
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. deal — an agreement

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