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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. date — the fruit
  8. net — after costs
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. present — there
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. race — a contest
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — the fish
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. race — the arms race

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