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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ball — a great time
  14. swing — music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. track — a song
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bulb — for light

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