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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. game — a match
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. scale — size or range
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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