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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a list
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. charge — electricity
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. charge — a price
  8. roll — a cake
  9. game — wild animals
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — in control
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — a measure

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