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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — a cake
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a trace
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ground — a position
  24. saw — the tool

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