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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a match
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. game — wild animals
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. net — after costs
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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