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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 116 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a match
  22. root — the cause
  23. cap — of ice
  24. season — of the year

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