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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. racket — for tennis

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