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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tube — a container
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. game — a match
  10. field — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — farmland
  21. bass — low music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — wild animals

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