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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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ground — crushed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. drill — army training
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bulb — for light

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