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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — for tennis

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