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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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 — on a finger
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — in cards

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