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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a match
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — a trace
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — a grade

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