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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: game · ruler · pit · bulb · hand · pound · kick · season

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. season — of the year
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. season — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a match
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — a weight
  23. kick — in football
  24. pound — for dogs

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