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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. key — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — a signal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — a hint
  11. capital — a city
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cue — for pool
  24. key — for a lock

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