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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. game — a match
  4. firm — decided
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitch — completely
  7. suit — to fit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — clothes
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — humankind
  17. spell — a short time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. firm — a company
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — magic

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