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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — to tire
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rock — a stone
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — thin
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. net — for catching
  17. toast — bread
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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