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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. game — a match
  6. current — happening now
  7. key — for a lock
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. current — electric
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. key — in music
  17. game — wild animals
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — music

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