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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — a division
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — of water
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — to recline
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — a song
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. track — a path

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