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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ground — crushed
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — the earth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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