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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ball — a dance

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