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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — humankind
  14. rest — a break
  15. object — to protest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — to visit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — of a river
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — music

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