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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: bay · mug · swing · bulb · fan · rule · game · wound

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a match
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — a law
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rule — government
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — to rob
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mug — a cup
  22. swing — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — to cool the air

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