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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bass — the fish
  3. game — wild animals
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a dance
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — a break
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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