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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — in football
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. calf — a young animal

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