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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. charge — in control
  18. scale — in music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. branch — a division
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. branch — of a bank

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