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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — of water
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — the season
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. root — of a word
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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