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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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 — wild animals
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mate — to breed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a friend
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a match
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — of a river
  24. current — happening now

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