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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a document
  9. march — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pit — in a race
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — to fit
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. file — a tool
  23. game — a match
  24. nail — on a finger

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