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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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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mine — for digging
  12. game — a match
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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