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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing 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. bound — certain
  3. cue — a hint
  4. last — final
  5. rash — a series
  6. last — to go on
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rash — hasty
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — in control
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a match
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — finally
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — on the skin

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