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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — a hint
  5. game — a match
  6. present — the time now
  7. game — wild animals
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — happy
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. present — there
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chip — to eat

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