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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. branch — a division
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. firm — steady
  15. fine — all right
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rash — a series
  23. rock — music
  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