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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. face — to confront
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rock — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — of the year
  17. bat — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. press — to push
  24. face — to point toward

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