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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stock — shares
  5. mug — a face
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — tied together
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. game — a match
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bound — certain
  22. kick — in football
  23. present — the time now
  24. cap — a lid

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