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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — the most important part
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — a match
  8. root — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pit — in a race
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — in music
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. game — wild animals
  22. charge — a price
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mouse — for a computer

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