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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a match
  5. club — for dancing
  6. court — of a king
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. court — of law
  9. race — a contest
  10. club — a group
  11. vault — a safe
  12. club — for golf
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — a hint
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — humankind

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