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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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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: pass · game · bound · race · court · spell · perch · cue

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spell — a short time
  8. race — humankind
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — for sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. court — of law
  13. race — a contest
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — a match
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — letters

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