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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mark — a grade
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. game — a match
  24. stem — to come from

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