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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hand — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. swing — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. game — wild animals
  20. swing — in golf
  21. game — a match
  22. swing — to play on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. foot — part of the body

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