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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — in sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — certain
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — letters
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. hand — in cards
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — for catching
  24. calf — of the leg

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