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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. game — a match
  6. march — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. deal — to handle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — a division
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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