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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. swing — in golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a match
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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