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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — after costs
  4. pop — soda
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pop — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a match
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. net — for catching
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — in sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pop — to visit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — a dish

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