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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stock — shares
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — to recline
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pit — a hole
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — to confront
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a match
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stock — goods
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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