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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitcher — a jug

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