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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. race — humankind
  12. mug — a face
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pop — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — a cup
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — wild animals

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