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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kid — child
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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