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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. band — a music group
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — for sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a ring
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a match
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bore — to drill
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. court — of law

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