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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — wild animals
  6. net — in sport
  7. ball — a great time
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bank — of a river
  20. net — after costs
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — a city

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