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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — in biology
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a hint
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. charge — in control
  24. lean — to bend

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