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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — letters
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ball — a great time
  21. roll — a list
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — magic

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