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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a hole
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. race — humankind
  20. game — a match
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bear — the 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