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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 124 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. band — a ring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pass — a permit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spring — a coil
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lie — to recline
  14. game — a match
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spring — the season
  24. band — a music group

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