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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — rain
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — there
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. present — the time now
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — a match
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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