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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pit — in a race
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mug — a face
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a trace

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