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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. present — there
  5. game — a match
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rest — a break
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — in music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — to handle
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. snap — to click
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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