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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pop — to visit
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. game — a match
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. swing — in golf
  10. branch — a division
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — decided
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — steady
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — soda
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. firm — a company
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. swing — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. file — a tool

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