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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cue — for pool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cell — a phone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a match
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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