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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — of law
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chair — a leader
  21. current — electric
  22. game — a match
  23. cue — a signal
  24. court — for sport

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