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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — a match
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fine — all right
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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