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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — to protest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — an aim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — wild animals
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bear — to put up with

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