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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a match
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cold — an illness
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pitch — completely
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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