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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — the arms race
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — a match
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. field — a subject
  24. race — humankind

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