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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. foot — a measure
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. game — wild animals
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. hand — help
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — to pay attention

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