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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rule — government
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rule — a law
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — a series
  18. bowl — to roll

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