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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — a gift
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. bank — for money

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