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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. game — a match
  15. rule — government
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — to be able to
  24. safe — out of danger

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