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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ground — the earth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ground — a position
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. present — there
  16. game — a match
  17. pitch — completely
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — in music
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a dance
  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