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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rule — government
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — a law
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bore — to drill
  13. court — of a king
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — to tire
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. craft — boats
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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