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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — a match
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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