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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chair — to sit on

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