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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. game — wild animals
  9. scale — in music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cell — a phone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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