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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — soda
  8. prune — to trim
  9. game — wild animals
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chest — a box
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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