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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — wild animals
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. net — in sport
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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