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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. drill — army training
  3. game — wild animals
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mate — a partner
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — certain
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mate — a friend
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — tied together
  24. drill — a practice

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