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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. land — ground
  8. mine — for digging
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — a country
  11. game — wild animals
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. object — to protest
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — a match
  20. object — an aim
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — to come down
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — dry grass

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