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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — a strongbox

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