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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — high quality
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. game — wild animals
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — in sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — a break
  24. charge — electricity

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