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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · rock · sharp · pass · bowl · deal · rash · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You can't go backstage without 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. deal — to handle
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rock — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a match
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pass — a permit

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