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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — of law
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ball — a dance
  14. game — a match
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. court — of a king

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