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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — rain
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ball — a round shape

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