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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — certain
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hand — help
  14. stock — shares
  15. rest — a break
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — goods
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a match
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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