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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rest — a break
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — of law
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fall — the season
  12. court — of a king
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — for sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a round shape

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