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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — soda
  3. cue — for pool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. craft — a skill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — a signal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fine — all right
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  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