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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ground — a position
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lie — to recline
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — a big deal

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