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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — all right
  8. game — a match
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. snap — to click
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cue — a hint
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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