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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.

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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: deal · game · current · pit · saw · ball · bear · spring

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a dance
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spring — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — electric
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — a coil
  18. game — a match
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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