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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · ground · cue · squash · roll · game · chair · pitch

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. roll — a list
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ground — a position
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. squash — the sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cue — for pool
  24. roll — on a roll

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