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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — to handle
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — low music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. clip — a video
  18. court — for sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of a king
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bass — the fish

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