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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be 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. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — in football
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — out of danger

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