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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cold — not warm
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — decided
  23. cold — an illness
  24. leaves — lets stay

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