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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. last — to go on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — music
  13. last — finally
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. last — final
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — to come down
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — a country
  24. ruler — a monarch

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