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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. board — a committee
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rest — a break
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — completely
  24. root — of a word

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