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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — to grow
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pass — to spend time

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