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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — a match
  4. object — a thing
  5. scale — in music
  6. stock — shares
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stock — goods
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — a committee
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — for weighing

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