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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy 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. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. game — a match
  7. roll — a list
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cap — of ice
  20. object — an aim
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cap — a hat
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. saw — the tool

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