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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pound — a weight
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pound — to hit hard

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