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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — the amount
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — happy
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — there
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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