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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — in sport
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. game — a match
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spring — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — steady
  12. court — of law
  13. toast — bread
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — decided
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spring — the season
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — for sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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