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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. degree — from a university
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — music
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a great time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. degree — temperature
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. staff — a stick

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