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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 124 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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Word bank
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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — a leader
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — a match
  7. object — an aim
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. land — to come down
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — ground
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — a country
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — to protest

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