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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. firm — decided
  3. game — a match
  4. capital — a city
  5. firm — a company
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to bend
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. row — to paddle
  17. capital — money
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. row — a line
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bowl — to roll

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