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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. net — for catching
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tear — from crying
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. game — a match
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tear — to rip
  23. present — a gift
  24. rock — music

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