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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a great time
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — army training
  15. game — a match
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. club — a group
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — a phone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. club — for golf

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