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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as 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. staff — employees
  3. stock — shares
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cue — a signal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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