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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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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 · bay · date · land · object · wind · foot · stick

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. land — to come down
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. object — an aim
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. land — a country
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — to protest
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — ground
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. foot — part of the body

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