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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. staff — a stick
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — for digging
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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