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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fine — high quality
  8. drill — the tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a match
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — bread
  20. cell — a phone
  21. drill — army training
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. leaves — to go away

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