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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cap — a hat
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ball — a dance
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — a lid
  20. season — in sport
  21. row — a line
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. calf — of the leg

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