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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a dance
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. game — a match
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. craft — a skill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — happy
  19. club — for golf
  20. land — a country
  21. game — wild animals
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — a group
  24. calf — a young animal

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