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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — help
  4. race — a contest
  5. hand — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — for dancing
  14. race — the arms race
  15. game — a match
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — a group
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. club — for golf
  21. fine — all right
  22. race — humankind
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fine — high quality

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