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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bound — certain
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — to handle
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pass — to spend 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