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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mate — a friend
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — to breed
  8. game — a match
  9. march — the month
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — a safe
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to point toward
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — to confront
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — wild animals
  22. root — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. face — part of the head

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