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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mark — a grade
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cue — for pool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a match
  24. arm — a part of something

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