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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — a law
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — letters
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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