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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. capital — money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. game — a match
  5. land — ground
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a path
  8. land — a country
  9. pitch — completely
  10. roll — a list
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — a song
  14. capital — a city
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — for pool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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