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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. game — a match
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. row — a line
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — help
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fine — high quality

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