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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — hurry
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — a face
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — a cup
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — a group

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