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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — obliged
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. club — for dancing
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. club — a group
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — certain
  22. club — for golf
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mark — to pay attention

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