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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fine — all right
  18. scale — in music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — high quality

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