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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. suit — in cards
  14. key — the most important part
  15. track — to keep track
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — to fit
  18. key — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a path
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. net — after costs

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