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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. land — ground
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bass — low music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — a weight

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