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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. club — for dancing
  23. game — wild animals
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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