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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — of a plant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. game — a match
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — the cause
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. craft — boats
  13. root — of a word
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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