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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — wild animals
  3. toast — bread
  4. rock — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rock — a stone
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. object — a thing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — a partner
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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