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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. game — a match
  6. root — the cause
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. deal — an agreement

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