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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. race — a contest
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pit — in a race
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — a price
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — a match
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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