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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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. deal — an agreement
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — a match
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — to drill

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