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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. march — music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — wild animals
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — all right
  22. club — a group
  23. land — to come down
  24. craft — a handicraft

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