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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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. kid — to tease
  3. root — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. kid — child
  6. root — the cause
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. club — for golf
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — a match
  16. root — of a word
  17. object — an aim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. club — for dancing

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