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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — of water
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — a match
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — to visit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — wild animals
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. calf — a young animal

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