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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ball — a great time
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — a division
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bore — to tire
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. season — in sport

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