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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.

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

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. game — a match

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